Railway mail-crane.



J. G. ADAMS.

RAILWAY MAIL CRANE.

APPLICATION FILED 312.23, 1909.

Patented Sept. 28, 1909.

FTQE.

JOHN C. ADAMS, 0F CHARLESTON, ILLINOIS.

RAILWAY MAIL-CRANE.

Application filed February 23, 1909.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN G. ADAMs, citizen of the United States,residing at Charleston, in the county of Coles and State of Illinois,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in RailwayMail-Cranes, of which the following is a specification.

This invention supplies a novel device intended more particularly fordelivering mail bags or like containers holding matter to be deliveredfrom moving trains, which in operation is effective, capable of beingeasily manipulated, and which when moved to an operative positionbecomes automatically locked and held securely in such position untildelivery is effected when the crane auto matically returns to a normalor given posi tion.

For a full understanding of the invention and the merits thereof andalso to acquire a knowledge of the details of construction and the meansfor effecting the result, reference is to be had to the followingdescription and acrximpanying drawings, in which:

F igure 1. is a perspective view of a mail crane embodying theinvention; Fig. 2 is a side view thereof; Fig. 3 is a perspective viewof the upper bracket and a portion of the crane; and Fig. 4 is a frontview showing the spring arms for supporting the mail bag or container.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the followingdescription and inclicated in all the views of the drawings by the samereference characters.

The crane mounted upon the car for holding the sacks in position fordelivery consists of a post 14, an 1113381 arm 15 and a lower arm 16. Abrace 1 is interposed between the lower portion of the post 14 and thearm 15. The brace 17 is pivoted at its lower end to the post 14 at 1 andits upper end is connected by link 2 to the arm 15. A guide pin 8 ispivotally connected to the parts 17 and 2, at 4 and passes through avertical opening in the arm 15 and receives a spring 22 which is of theexpansible type and confined between the arm 15 and the joint 4 formedbetween the parts 2 and 17. The arms 15 and 16 have a slight verticalplay. The arm 16 is supported in its lowest position by means of abracket 18. The upper arm 15 is likewise limited in its downwardmovement by a bracket 19. The post 14 is mounted in the brackets 18 and19 so as to turn and thereby admit of the crane fold- Specification ofLetters Patent.

Patented Sept. 28, 1999.

Serial No. 479,459.

* ing close against the side of the car or swinging across the door forconvenience in plaoing the sacks in position for delivery.

A spring actuated catch 20 is mounted upon the bracket 19 and limits themovement of the crane when swung outward about at a right angle to theside of the car to hold the sacks in position for delivery. Acontractile spring 21 is interposed between the arm 15 and the side ofthe car and serves to swing the crane against the side of the car whenreleased of the weight of the sack. The catch or stop 20 is adapted tobe depressed when the arm 15 is riding thereover and springs upwardafter the arm is passed thereover and engages with a side thereof tohold the crane extended against the tension of the spring 21. hen thearm 15 is relieved of the weight of the sack or container the spring 22presses the arm 15 upward a distance to clear the catch or stop 20 afterwhich the crane is folded against the side of the car by the action ofthe spring 21. For swinging the crane outward, a cord, chain or likeconnection 23 is attached to the arm 15 and passes around a guide pulley24 provided at a side of the car some distance from the post 14 and hasits opposite end attached to a Windlass 25 upon which it is adapted tobe wound, said Windlass being provided with a hand-wheel 26 forconvenience in rotating said Windlass when it is required to wind theconnection 23 thereon.

The attaching means for retaining the sacks in place consist of hooks 27which are arranged transversely of the respective arms and are attachedthereto by one member. The other member of each hook 27 is free andcurves and is resilient. The hooks while possessed of a spring actionare nevertheless sufliciently stout to retain and support the sacks orretainers. The hooks 27 face in the same direction which is opposite tothe direction of movement of the train, thereby permitting the sacks 28to slide or become readily disengaged therefrom when arrested in theirmovement by impact with the catcher or parts thereof against which thesacks strike.

The sack or container 28 holding the matter to be delivered is attachedat its lower ends to the inner or free members of the spring hooks 27the crane having first been swung so as to extend across the doorway ofthe postal car to admit of the sack or sacks being conveniently attachedto the crane. After the crane has been supplied with the sack orcontainer to be delivered it is swung outward preferably by operatingthe Windlass 25. As the crane swings outward the tension of the spring21 increases and whenthe crane is in proper position it is held by thecatch or stop 20. As the train approaches the station and passesthereby, the sack or container 28 is stripped from the spring hooks 27by any of the usual types of catchers arranged to arrest the forwardmovement of said sack. When the arm 15 is relieved of the weight of thesack or container suspended therefrom, the spring 22 comes into play andthrows said arm 15 upward a distance to clear the stop 20 after whichthe spring 21 swings the crane against the side of the car, said cranebeing held in folded position by means of a suitable catch positioned soas to engage therewith.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed as new is:

1. In means for delivering mail, a crane mounted to swing horizontallyand comprising relatively movable and stationary arms having means forengagement with a sack, means normally tending to hold the crane folded,astop adapted to engage the mov able arm of the crane and hold both armsextended, and means for throwing the movable arm upwardly when releasedfrom the weight of the sack.

2. In means for delivering mail, a crane mounted to swing horizontallyand comprising relatively movable and stationary arms having means forengagement with a sack, a spring normally tending to hold the cranefolded, a spring actuated stop adapted to engage the movable arm of thecrane and hold both arms extended against the tension of said spring,and means for throwing the movable arm upwardly when released from theweight of the sacl 3. In means for delivering mail, a crane comprising amovable arm adapted to be held lowered by the weight of a sack suspended therefrom, a spring for throwing said arm upward when relieved ofthe weight of the sack, means normally tending to hold the crane foldedand a stop to engage with the crane and hold the same extended againstthe action of said folding means.

t. In means for delivering mail the com- ,bination of a swinging crane,means for post, a link pivotally connecting the upper end of the braceto the arm, and a pin having connection with said brace and having asliding connection with the said arm.

6. 111 a railway mail crane comprising a vertical post and a horizontalarm having pivotal connection with said post, a stop arranged in thepath of the arm to engage therewith and hold the same in operativeposition, means normally tending to fold said arm, the latter whenweighted by the mail matter to be delivered being held in engagementwith said stop, and means for automatically disengaging said arm fromthe stop when relieved of the weight of the mail matter carried therebyto permit the automatic folding of the arm by the means cooperatingtherewith.

In testimony whereof I aiiiX my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOHN G. ADAMS. 14. s]

Witnesses GEO. E. BURKETT, I. L. STEPHENS.

